The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1887-02-27
TOPICS OF THE TOWN.


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Come gentle spring. Ethereal mildncss
comcl" II really seems as II tho backbone OF
the winter was broken. The anniversary of the
natal day of Washington was as balmy as
maidcn's sigh, aud the whole city turned out TO
witness the crcdtabc parade OF the frcmcn and
the military. The prophetic gooscbonc OF last
autumn went severely back on the country. but
the grounding has so far kept up his reputation
for weathcr-forccasting accuracy.
-.
one of the most abomlnablc uuisanccs in the |
city, created by the strcct-car companies and
their employees, Is at the corner of seventh and ID
streets northwest, The hill.boys seem to take |
delight in keeping their sprung -kuccd, spawned /
old horses suuarcy across the regular crossing
bio cking the way and compelling people to walk
around them. The nuisance is bad enough In |
any weather, hut these same hi.boys seem to
take diabolica delight In regulating their |
horses In this way in muddy and slushy weather. |
The police have jurisdiction In the premises, and
they should nttcnd to their business.
-.
The Steam-Icating Company have got permit
to make connection with their mains on ID, Sew
cnth, +, and Ninth streets. Have they also per-
init to allow to remain two unpavcd snk-holcs at
the corner of Ninth and ID streets, dangerous
alike to the strcct-cnr horses and to those of pas
sing vchclcsY Last Tuesday people In that VI
cinity were treated to the .rnaccustomcd spccta-
Gle of II small volcano putting up between the car
tracks, and On examination by the Inspector 1t
was found that steam was escaping at one of the
mnu-holcs, and that Its action was fast making a
hole in the roadway that would be dangerous for
horses. The steam was shut of at the generating
plant, u brick was placed by the inspector to I'LL
up the hole in the street, and meanwhile the pco-
pie along u street will wait for further Develop
ments.
| Thank Heaven! For this session nt least the
various projects for desccrating the parks and
| breathing places OF our grand city have been
shclved. Gen. Montgomery c. Meigs deserves
honor as an engineer for his creditable feat of
| introducing Potomac water into the city, but as
an architect he has done enough damage to our
beautiful parks to counterbalance, and more
than counterbalancc his previously-earned rep
utation. In fact, he It was In conjunction with
his economical friend, Hon. Samuel Randall, who,
OH the score of saving to the Government, ruined
the appearance of the Smithsonian grounds and
Judiciary Square with the huge brick monstrosi-
| ties put up In accordance with the ideas of Gen.
Montgomery c. Mcigs ut ten dollars u day IN
addition to his regular pay.
.ss
The meeting of the old firemen--thc volunteer
mcn-n Alexandria last Tuesday was cordial.
| But when they got full of rum and those on op-
posite sides In the late war began to talk over
their battles several fights occurred rs was ncvi-
table. Aud will II be to the end of the chapter
and until the last soldier is dead II may be said,
| however, that whatever disorder occurred in the
Old Burgh was fomented and engaged In by
parties from Baltimore and Washington who Wis
tied the city for spree, and who never heard tho
| whistle of minic bullet in their lives.
-.
The House has passed the bill for the ABOLISH
ment of the cxecrable Trail on the street railways
of the city, and to compel the companies to pave
between and outside of their tracks with mate
rial flush with the grade OF the roadway. This
bill was passed by the House nt n previous ses-
sion, but was pigeon-holcd In the senate There
is hardly day passes that some one does not
lose wheel from carriage account of these
projecting Trails and more than once wheels
have been torn from the fre-engines. 1t has
been abolished in nearly every city of the coun-
try, and 1t is to be hoped that tho Senate will
promptly pass the above bill and receive the
thanks of everybody who drives vehicle in this
community.
The report of the senat, District Committee on
the Public Schools Is especially severe on Super
intcndent Powell. Whether these structures are
deserved or not, the Commissioners did wrong to
appoint an outsider rs superintendent. We
ought to have home rule In the schools particu-
arly, and 1t will not do to sny that We have not
|
elsewhere.
The police surgeons have pctitioned for an in.
crease of ten dollars per month pay. They now
receive forty dollars. As they have to attend
also to the men of the Fire Department, and as
the police force will soon be increased, the ad
vance prayed for seems reasonable If the sur.
r gcons attend properly to their duties they art
well worth nifty dollars per month.
e
The First Virginia Brigade. Gen. Stephenson
commanding, has been entered for the Nationa
Drill, as well as two squadrons of cavalry and
battalion of light artillery There are well
drilled regiments in the command, especially tn,
' First. and the Richmond Howitzers can holt
D their own with any battery in the country. Bu
no chance should be let slip to win hOnors fo
the State In Il national contest. Therefore II 4
to be hoped that Governor Lee will use his in
i fucncc to secure the attendance of the cadets o.
: the Virginia Military Institute, whose drill an'
r discipline are modelled on that of West Point ant
0 will compare favoraby with it. After our loca
{ militia the people of the District would like I,
r see the success of the troops of State will
n which we have so close business and social rclu
y tions
The clerks in the Departments come under tn
q provisions of the eight-hour law as well as othc
l., | laborers for the Government. To require then
n 10 return 10 tncf ueSkS uUu WOTk nulI tne HlRu
j. for weeks at n time without pay Is pitiful econ
n omy and an abuse of official authority r.
bring tho work up to date is all right, but Uncl
= Sam is rich enough TO pay for service rendere
= him. OF course the clerks dare not kick agains
l. the injustice above referred to, for then th
II Bireaucrats would bounce them instnntsr.
y y -.
l. Eighty deeds were filed with the Recorder q
Deeds on Thursday last, the largest number eve
nj, -nl r.,r rnrI in, aunln luv xuifh In
history of the office. Truly, Mr.. Matthews, eve
4 If he has to vacate, cannot complain that he ha
r. not been making large quantity of hay whil
a. the sun shone.
,s Officer Joseph Shelton has been retired for d,
=, ability contracted in twenty-five years servic
=. on the police force. During that period he wa
~ never once brought before the trial board Sue
,t II record makes him welcome to this notice.
81 -.
i, The School Trustees have issued II circular fc
r. the benefit mainly of members of Congress, !
A. which they deny categorically the charges mad
te against them for the purpose of affecting the ~
y preparation for the schools In the Senate con
u mittce. Their answer to these charges seer
frank, fair and conclusive. 1t is hnrd tobcliey
J. that the school bill was wounded In the house
y ITS friends, and 1t seems to be certain that I'll
o. complication which has arisen resulted from II
,s committee by residents of the District. VIII
n, their object could havc been In opposing an II
creased appropriation is past finding out. m
he schools, to be thoroughly elective need gre,
of deal more than the modest amount of appropri,
or tion asked for, II the entire school population
Of to he cared fof The appropriation for the schoo
ut should be freely generous even If cheese parr
to Is resortcd to In the appropriations for mnrov
hc mcnts.
e. -.
-, The Womcn's Suffrage advocates have not
III yet struck their colOrs In the face of defeat Tht
u. are going to hold mass meeting this afternot
.e. for a grand rally.
n -
IL The Knights of Labor are utter the Coinn
sioners to get them to enforce the acts makir
~ eight hours n days labor and g. days pay +
y, 20 District aborcrs. The Knights don't seem to
~, aware that the courts have decided that the u
,, creating permanent form of District COVER